The present invention relates to a simulator used to teach electronics. In particular, the invention relates to a visual electronic teaching method using liquid holding suspended particles flowing through transparent parts to visually represent electric current flowing through various electronic components.
Various training methods and devices have been developed in the past for teaching electronics. Types of devices include simulators that use active electronic components and meteorology to allow the student to build and practice with live electronic circuits. Another teaching method uses computers to design and test electronic circuits in virtual reality. These approaches to teaching electronics require the student be knowledgeable of math, computers and physics as a prerequisite to understanding the dynamics of the circuits.
It is known that electronics is becoming more and more a part of everyday life, yet so few are educated to understand even the basic principles. It would be a benefit to people to have a simpler method of learning electronics: a visual electronic simulator that allows the student to see the principles of electronics in transparent operation.
It is thus an object of this invention to provide a method of teaching electronics that includes the utilization of an electronic simulator that uses liquid holding suspended particles flowing through transparent parts to represent electric current flowing through various electronic components; the transparent parts simulate electronic component counterparts.
Accordingly, this invention provides the functional hydraulic equivalents of components commonly used in electronic circuits; the battery; the conductor; the resistor; the capacitor; the diode; the transistor; the switch; that can be connected in various configurations to best demonstrate the basic principles of electronics including voltage; current flow; resistance; capacitance; semiconductors; power generation and storage.
An instructional booklet and interactive CD that comes with the visual electric simulator give the instructor or student the directions as to the component configurations that can be quick connected, the process in which to charge the battery and the meaning of the simulated electronic principles being visually demonstrated.